U.S. patent application number 09/774535 was filed with the patent office on 2001-09-13 for apparatus for breaking up compacted laundry.
Invention is credited to Weir, Henry John.
Application Number | 20010020658 09/774535 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9884875 |
Filed Date | 2001-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010020658 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Weir, Henry John |
September 13, 2001 |
Apparatus for breaking up compacted laundry
Abstract
There is provided apparatus for breaking up a cake 5 of
compacted laundry. The cake 5 falls from a conveyor 6 into the nip
between a pair of spaced star shaped rollers 1 mounted on a frame 2
and driven by a motor and gearing 3. The broken up articles of
laundry fall into a transporting means 8 provided below the rollers
1.
Inventors: |
Weir, Henry John; (Woodcroft
Close, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. BOX 10395
CHICAGO
IL
60610
US
|
Family ID: |
9884875 |
Appl. No.: |
09/774535 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
241/235 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 95/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
241/235 |
International
Class: |
B02C 004/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 4, 2000 |
GB |
0002458.8 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for breaking up a compacted cake of laundry comprising
means for applying forces to the cake, the forces relative to the
cake being generally transverse to the pressing forces which
originally formed the cake.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a
pair of spaced rollers driven in rotation in opposing directions
and defining a nip therebetween, the lengthwise axes of the rollers
being generally parallel to the pressing forces which originally
formed the cake.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the rollers are
star-shaped in transverse cross-section.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the rollers are
six-pointed star shape in transverse cross-section.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a plurality of pairs of
spaced rollers are arranged in series, the distance between the
rollers of each pair decreasing.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the rollers are mounted
on a frame below a feed hopper, the lengthwise axes of the rollers
being generally horizontal and there being space below the rollers
into which space the broken up laundry drops.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the space below the
rollers can be occupied by a wheeled truck or an onward
conveyor.
8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein there is provided a
feeder for presenting the cakes to the force applying means, the
lengthwise axes of the rollers being generally vertical on opposite
sides of the feeder.
9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said feeder comprises a
belt conveyor.
10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a
pair of oppositely disposed press plates, which are movable towards
each other to engage a cake.
11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the press plates are
disposed on opposite sides of a generally horizontal cake
conveyor.
12. An apparatus for breaking a compacted cake of laundry, the
apparatus comprising; a pair of non-contacting rollers; a motor
connected to at least one of the non-contacting rollers an input
disposed to provide a cake of laundry between the non-contacting
rollers.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the non-contacting rollers
are non-circular in transverse cross-section.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of foreign priority
pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn..sctn. 119 to British Patent
Application No. 0002458.8, filed Feb. 4, 2000, the disclosure of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates to means for breaking up heavily
compacted batches of laundry after the water extraction process.
Continuous batch washing machines are employed by many commercial
laundries to process their workloads. On completion of the washing
and rinsing cycles these machines automatically discharge a batch
of water laden laundry into a water extraction press which is
arranged to apply considerable pressure upon the laundry to squeeze
out most of its water content. After the pressing operation the
load is automatically discharged from the press in the form of a
very compacted circular cake. These cakes of laundry are discharged
from the press at intervals of approximately two to four minutes
onto a storage conveyor which progresses each load in a series of
stop and start movements thereby spacing them along the conveyor
run which directs them onward to the further processing stages.
[0003] Due to the very compressed structure of these cakes they do
need to be broken apart into a condition where they are easier to
handle. This operation is usually performed by a rotary tumbler
into which the cake is loaded. Most commercial laundries employ
conveyor systems which convey the cakes from the water extraction
press and automatically feed them directly into heated tumblers,
after a pre-set run cycle the broken up work load is discharged
from the tumbler into mobile containers or onto conveyors for
onward processing. The tumbler into mobile containers or onto
conveyors for onward processing. The tumblers will impart some
further drying action on the load of laundry, however most work
loads will eventually be processed through multi roller ironing
equipment which will iron it and also dry out the remaining
residual moisture. The rotary action of the tumbler whilst breaking
up the compressed cake can cause severe tangling of the separated
articles making the handling operations more difficult.
[0004] In some laundries the tumblers are manually loaded which
requires some effort on the part of the loading operators to
partially break up the compressed cake in order to perform the
loading operation.
SUMMARY
[0005] The object of the invention is to provide means which will
break up the compressed structure of a cake of laundry after it has
been discharged from the water extraction press and convey it
onward in an easier to handle condition direct to the feeding and
ironing equipment for final processing thereby eliminating the time
consuming and more expensive tumbler processing operation.
[0006] According to the invention means are provided which will
apply powerful forces on the sides of the circular cake of laundry
which has the effect of breaking up the compressed layers of fabric
due to the forces being directed in the opposite direction to the
forces of the water extraction press which originally formed the
compacted cake. In order to maintain an uninterrupted throughput
flow of laundry it is desirable for the compressed cakes to be
broken apart during their conveying operation from the water
extraction press and discharged into mobile laundry trucks or onto
conveyors for further processing.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0007] FIGS. 1 and 2 are front views of one embodiment of an
apparatus for breaking up compacted laundry.
[0008] FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 are side views of one embodiment of a
structure for breaking compacted laundry.
[0009] FIGS. 5, 6 and 8-10 are views of other embodiments of
structures for breaking compacted laundry.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] In its preferred form the invention comprises a pair of six
pointed star shaped rollers suitably spaced apart and slowly
rotated in opposing directions. The compressed cake of laundry is
directed by the conveyor system so that the sides of the cake will
engage in the nip space between the rollers, as the load is drawn
into the narrow gap high pressure forces are exerted upon the sides
of the cake which destroy its structure. After passing through the
rollers the load is arranged to fall downwards into a mobile truck
or onto a conveyor; preferably the discharge point from between the
rollers is located at an elevated height above the receiving truck
or conveyor as the addition of a gravity drop will improve the
further break up of the cake.
[0011] The preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS.
1, 2, 3 and 4 will now be described:
[0012] A pair of star shaped rollers 1 located in a spaced apart
horizontal position in a suitable box shaped frame 2 are slowly
rotated by way of the required motor and gearing 3. A hopper 4 is
arranged on top of the frame into which a cake 5 will fall at the
end of the cake conveyor run 6 where it is directed to engage in
the nip space 7 between the rollers which crush it as it passes
through finally dropping the load into transporting means 8
situated below.
[0013] The roller arrangement described above can also be
positioned vertically as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The compressed
cake is conveyed directly into the nip space 7 of the crushing
rollers by conveyor 6 and the broken up load deposited onto
conveyor means 9 for onward processing.
[0014] Other alternative means can be employed to apply the
required thrust forces on the side walls of the cake to break up
its compacted structure:
[0015] FIG. 8 shows an arrangement where the cake is directed
through a series of power driven plain rollers suitably spaced with
a wide gap at the engagement point progressively reducing to a
narrow gap at the final discharge point.
[0016] FIGS. 9 and 10 show a plan schematic arrangement employing a
pair of spaced apart press plates 10 which are powered by either
mechanical or fluid means to move inward and apply the crushing
force on the side walls of the cake 5. These plates are located on
each side of conveyor run 6 and are arranged to move over the upper
surface of the conveyor belt. The conveyor is stopped when a cake
is moved into position between the press plates which are then
powered inward to apply the required forces on the sides of the
cake, they are then moved apart to permit the load to be onward
conveyed.
[0017] Both of the above mentioned arrangements are more complex
and less cost effective than the star shaped roller system. For
manufacturing expediency the six-pointed star shaped roller is
preferred, it should be noted however that other forms of roller
shapes would also be effective.
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